Homeschool World Forum

momofone · User Joined: 19 Apr 2007 Posts: 38 Location: NJ

How are you handling subjects like Chemistry, Biology, etc? Anything that the average person doesn't usually know? Are you just going through the books and doing labs with them and learning as well or hiring tutors for some things?

WishboneDawn · User Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 36

I'm using websites. Rader's Biology 4 Kids and it's sister sites on chemistry, physics, etc. provide a good guide and nice explanations. I supplement with stuff I find by googling so if we're reading about cell structure on Biology for kids I'll google "cell structure games', 'cell structure kids' etc.

Granted, my daughter is going on 9 so this isn't really advanced stuff but it could work for kids up until the senior high grades.

novo4 · User Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 23

I, too, would like to know what everyone does about this for their high school aged children.
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Heidi

StellarStory · User Joined: 15 Apr 2007 Posts: 472

This year we got The Biology Coloring book and my daughter took a lab at the local science museum which was excellent. We could have done the lab at home I've found some great resources for that but I didn't want to.

The book was as full of information as a text book but had a kinesthetic element with the coloring. She ended up not being pleased because she thought the colors should symbolize certain things. Instead they were random. I have a feeling she may be designing curriculum someday.

She loved the lab.

This year she may take a home school class Chem and lab or she may dual enroll and take it from a college. There are a few other options as well. We haven't made our final decision yet.

In 9th grade we did SOS science. It was far too rigid for us.

Science Web sites:
http://www.homeschoolingadventures.com/912.html

Microscopes

http://www.educationbarn.com/supplies/product_info.php/cPath/291_305/products_id/2665

Petri dishes

http://www.educationbarn.com/supplies/product_info.php/cPath/291_305/products_id/1166

Owl pellets

http://www.educationbarn.com/supplies/product_info.php/cPath/291/products_id/5530

Color paddles

http://www.educationbarn.com/supplies/product_info.php/cPath/291/products_id/5738

Test tube

http://www.educationbarn.com/supplies/product_info.php/cPath/291/products_id/12084

Litmus paper

http://www.educationbarn.com/supplies/product_info.php/cPath/291/products_id/5913

Skelton
http://www.educationbarn.com/supplies/product_info.php/cPath/291/products_id/7870

Anatomy charts
http://www.educationbarn.com/supplies/product_info.php/cPath/291/products_id/1936

Book
http://www.educationbarn.com/supplies/product_info.php/cPath/291_311/products_id/11630

Fake animals to vivisect

http://www.navs.org/education/dissection_loan_program.cfm?SectionID=Education

Engineer book that looks good!
http://www.science2discover.com/Engineeringbooks.htm

Science books that look good!
http://www.science2discover.com/bookstore.htm

Quiz and game sites for high school

http://www.execulink.com/~ekimmel/index.htm

http://quizhub.com/quiz/quizhub.cfm

http://www.jc-schools.net/tutorials/tools/science-hs.html

http://www.syvum.com/squizzes/chem/

HTH,
Stellar

isamama · User Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 47

We used Abeka Biology and I let dd choose it. She said it was more colorful than Apologia's text, which she used for General & Physical Science. I must add my recommendations of Abeka's lab videos - excellent quality and all the labs are on it, so if you prefer observing labs these videos are for you.

I also have a Biology coloring book, but dd never got around to working in that - good to know there is no pattern to the coloring.

I need ideas for Chemistry for next year. My dd is ADD and needs a gentle, user-friendly, step-by-step text/curriculum for this. Her brother used 1/2 Apologia Chemistry, which I still have, but I need something easier for me to regurgitate for dd to digest further. I held her back a grade, so we still have two more years to study what she needs.

P.S. I never took Chemistry in high school.
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I not only use all the brains I have, but all I can borrow. - Woodrow Wilson.

momofone · User Joined: 19 Apr 2007 Posts: 38 Location: NJ

Wow! Thank you for all of that!!

StellarStory · User Joined: 15 Apr 2007 Posts: 472

My kids often want to learn things that I don't have much interest or aptitude for.

I give them the best materials I can find, try to find an outside of the house course, have them use each other for tutors and use a free online tutor at times like that.

Stellar

momofone · User Joined: 19 Apr 2007 Posts: 38 Location: NJ

StellarStory · User Joined: 15 Apr 2007 Posts: 472

Our local libraries have a deal with an online tutor service. You might want to check if yours does as well. They are available from 3- 10 local time for grades three and up, I think it is.

They also have free rosetta stone available. Both are accessible from your home computer if you have a library card and internet.

Some libraries also have accelerated reader quizzes that your kid can take there. I am not a fan of the whole accelerated reader program though. I prefer my kids to read what they will enjoy or what follows a subject area they are learning.

Stellar

Ramona · User Joined: 15 Aug 2006 Posts: 414

When DS was just finishing 8th grade and DD was just starting 9th grade, there was a bio lab with dissecting offered in our area. A formerly homeschooled young woman who was majoring in pre-med or something worked out an arrangement with another mom of high schoolers to teach it in her basement to homeschooled high schoolers for 2 weeks. It was such a blessing for us!

When DS was finishing 11th and DD was starting 11th, DH offered a similar chem lab course in our kitchen. (He has a master's in engineering and a state high school science teaching certificate and tutors public high school kids in science.) He bought a small chem lab kit from Quality Science Labs through the Home Science Tools catalog.

http://www.homesciencetools.com

Other than that, we have the kids go through textbooks which we got old, used and free. When they need help they come to one or the other of us. Science is not my favorite thing in the world but I did OK in college.

Ramona

StellarStory · User Joined: 15 Apr 2007 Posts: 472

It sounds like you really lucked out!

My kids like to dissect things.

I HATE the idea. I'm against the whole concept. I avoided any labs in high school or college that would require it.

I don't keep them from taking labs that do require it though.

Stellar

Dolly-VA · User Joined: 05 Feb 2007 Posts: 97

My son is going into 8th grade in the fall and science has been my major problem area as far as curriculums go. I did find this http://www.bluebengallearning.com/for_parents.aspx and have decided to go with it in the fall. I do like the idea that it is designed to hit different learning styles (interactive-based, picture-based, and word-based learning) as well as it being an NSES based curriculum. Anyway, just thought I'd share.